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Mission Agencies and Recruitment

Three reasons why mission agencies find recruitment difficult.

Yesterday, I sat in on a discussion about recruitment with representatives of three mission agencies (who will remain nameless). To my mind, three issues stood out as being key:

  • Many churches no longer have world mission on their agenda. They are fed up of being badgered by multiple agencies all asking them to do something which is not a high priority.
  • For many churches in the UK, the word mission has changed its meaning and now means local action, not world-wide involvement. (I blogged on this recently).
  • Changes in the world; globalisation, post-colonialism and post-everythingelse-ism make the whole idea of long-term missionary work seen rather anachronistic.

This is how some mission reps see things – I wonder what church leaders would have said.

5 replies on “Mission Agencies and Recruitment”

I too sat in on a similar discussion on Saturday – with just one Mission agency though. What is interesting is that they asked me specifically to hear from a church leader. Maybe that is one of the issues? (i.e. that mission agencies discuss churches without talking to them?) I think your three main points are basically correct. They are only a generalisation though. We are not a particularly big church but have sent one new couple / individual overseas with a mission agency every year for the past three years.

*Quote* For many churches in the UK, the word mission has changed its meaning and now means local action, not world-wide involvement. *Unquote*

Too right: As a church member, seeing a decaying home front can induce a sense of desperation and the feeling that “We’ve got enough problems on our doorstep without thinking about distant climes”. Over reaction no doubt, but it’s difficult not to feel a background sense of nagging panic!

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